Pope Leo XIV traveled to Barcelona on Tuesday to inaugurate the Tower of Jesus Christ at Sagrada Família, the 172-meter spire whose completion has made the basilica the tallest church in the world. The date was deliberate: a century to the day since the death of Antoni Gaudí, the Catalan architect who defined the project’s vision and never lived to see it close.
Details
- Gaudí took over the project in 1882, designing its ornate towers with intricate sculptural detail and natural motifs he intended as a biblical text in stone.
- Construction was interrupted repeatedly — by the Spanish Civil War and chronic funding shortfalls — before accelerating in recent decades.
- Sagrada Família is now Spain’s most visited landmark and a cornerstone of the country’s tourism economy.
- Residents of surrounding neighborhoods say the area has become unlivable for locals, with some opposing a facade expansion plan that would require demolishing their homes.
- The inauguration lands in the middle of a broader anti-tourism backlash in Barcelona, where residents blame the hospitality industry for soaring housing costs and the erosion of the city’s character.
What to watch
Completion does not settle the debate — it may intensify it. More visitors will follow the inauguration. Barcelona’s city government will face sharper pressure to balance the economic weight of Gaudí’s legacy against the cost borne by the people living in its shadow.
